George climate

George Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Quincy, 16.1 km from George, elevation 1286 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Quincy. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around April 21 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 2, first October 27

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FMay 21May 14May 10May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22
32°FMay 5May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 5
28°FApr 20Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 15
24°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 25
20°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 14Feb 6Jan 28
16°FMar 2Feb 26Feb 19Feb 13Feb 7Feb 3Jan 28Jan 18Jan 6

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 23Sep 27Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16
32°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27
28°FOct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 25Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 9
24°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 25
20°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 9
16°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 14Dec 25

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F171165161157154151146141135
32°F197191186182178174169165157
28°F228220215210206201197192184
24°F262252245240235230225219212
20°F296285277271265259253246236
16°F328314307300293287281272261

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
99% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
5,723
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
690
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,072
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,866
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,836
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,966
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,247

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08800
February83301
March668014
April420290
May18533318
June5893485
July7264722
August10233688
September10165416
October445299
November80904
December1,10000

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 16.1 km from George. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00456880 (Quincy). Public domain.